Ghana profile

Demography and Health

Ghana's population reached about 34.4 million in 2024, signaling a young and growing society with substantial potential for a demographic dividend if investments in health, education, and job creation keep pace. The country exhibits a relatively high birth rate of 26.3 per 1,000 people (2023) and a crude death rate of 7.04 per 1,000 (2023), indicating continued natural population growth. Life expectancy at birth stands at 65.5 years (2023), reflecting improvements in health outcomes but still short of many middle‑income peers. Under‑5 mortality is 37.1 per 1,000 live births (2023), underscoring ongoing child health challenges that require sustained attention to maternal and child health services.

The nutritional landscape shows 6.2% of the population undernourished (2022), suggesting pockets of vulnerability despite broad food access. Internet use is widespread at 69.9% (2023), highlighting a digital foundation that can support health information campaigns, telemedicine, and electronic health records. On the health financing side, current health expenditure is 3.7% of GDP (2022), complemented by domestic general government health expenditure per capita, PPP terms, of 134 international dollars (2022). The physician density is 0.141 per 1,000 people (2022), indicating a need to train and recruit more health professionals to improve access, particularly in rural areas. Net migration is negative at −13,114 (2024), suggesting some outward movement that could affect labor markets and skills, with implications for the health sector and service delivery in the medium term. Overall, Ghana's demography presents a youthful but resource‑intensive population, where accelerating human capital development and expanding service coverage will be crucial to convert demographic momentum into long‑term growth.

Economy

Challenging inflation conditions shape Ghana's macroeconomic climate, with headline inflation at 22.8% in 2024, a level that erodes purchasing power and complicates price stability for households and businesses. The country’s income profile shows GDP per capita at 2,406 current US$ in 2024, while GDP per capita at PPP stands at 8,027 international US$, signaling a meaningful difference between market prices and adjusted living standards across the population. The external sector appears moderately open: exports of goods and services account for 35.3% of GDP in 2024, while imports are 34.1% of GDP, suggesting a balanced trade position that can support domestic industries with foreign inputs and access to global markets.

Foreign direct investment net inflows are 1.64% of GDP in 2023, indicating some investor interest but leaving room for deeper capital accumulation to drive productivity. High‑technology exports are modest, at 20,813,123 current US$ (2023), pointing to nascent, but growing, sophistication in tradable sectors. The current account balance stands at 1.75% of GDP (2023), suggesting modest external balance not strongly buffered against shocks. The data imply a resilient but fragile macro framework: inflationary pressures invite prudent monetary and fiscal policy, while external sector performance could benefit from greater export diversification and higher value‑added manufacturing. The energy transition, with renewable energy contributing 39% of total final energy consumption (2021), may support longer‑term stability and lower import dependence for energy. Yet the modest government health expenditure per capita (134 PPP international USD, 2022) and limited physician density (0.141 per 1,000 people, 2022) reveal underinvestment in critical human capital that could constrain rapid growth. The logistics climate, rated 2.4 on the 1–5 scale (2022) with a relatively favorable rank, signals comparative strengths in trade and transport infrastructure relative to many peers, but also clear needs for further modernization to sustain higher trade volumes and integration with global value chains.

Trade and Investment

Trade remains a central conduit for growth and development in Ghana. Exports of goods and services contributed 35.3% of GDP in 2024, while imports represented 34.1% of GDP, illustrating a connected economy that benefits from global demand but also faces exposure to commodity cycles and price volatility. Net foreign direct investment inflows amount to 1.64% of GDP in 2023, underscoring that capital formation from abroad exists but is not yet large enough to catalyze rapid productivity gains across sectors. The highest‑technology export figure—20,813,123 current US$ in 2023—signals a developing but still modest footprint in advanced manufacturing and knowledge-intensive goods. External indicators also show a positive current account balance of 1.75% of GDP (2023), which helps contain external vulnerabilities but may still leave the economy sensitive to terms‑of‑trade shifts and global financing conditions. The negative net migration figure in 2024 (−13,114) could influence the labor pool and skill distribution, potentially affecting competitiveness if skilled outflows are sustained. Overall, Ghana’s trade and investment profile shows openness and growth potential, with important opportunities to deepen value chains, improve governance to attract larger and higher‑quality FDI, and scale up exports in higher‑tech areas through targeted incentives, reforms, and capacity building.

Governance and Institutions

Ghana faces governance challenges reflected in various governance indicators from 2023. Political stability is near neutral, with a score of −0.0216 and a rank around 103, suggesting a relatively peaceful setting but with vulnerabilities to political and social tensions that could arise in a volatile regional and global environment. Regulatory quality sits at −0.181 (rank about 105), pointing to constraints in designing and implementing efficient, business-friendly rules. The rule of law stands at −0.0996 (rank 99), and control of corruption at −0.099 (rank 90), while government effectiveness is −0.0927 (rank 101). These numbers collectively imply structural weaknesses in institutional quality, rule of law, regulatory frameworks, and public sector performance that can hamper investment, service delivery, and long‑term development. While the presence of a functioning political system and peaceful governance is a positive baseline, the negative relative scores highlight the need for stronger anti‑corruption measures, independent judiciary strengthening, streamlined regulatory processes, and a more effective civil service to improve governance outcomes and create a more predictable investment climate.

Infrastructure and Technology

Infrastructure and technology in Ghana show a mix of strengths and gaps. The Logistics Performance Index (quality of trade and transport‑related infrastructure) stands at 2.4 out of 5 (2022), with a ranking of 22, suggesting Ghana has relatively solid logistics capacity compared with many peers but still trails advanced economies and requires investment in roads, ports, and customs efficiency to reduce costs and lead times. Internet usage is high at 69.9% (2023), creating strong opportunities for digital services, e‑governance, and fintech expansion. The health system indicators point to a need for more medical professionals, as physicians per 1,000 people are 0.141 (2022), and current health expenditure is 3.7% of GDP (2022), implying continued funding and capacity gaps in health delivery. Renewable energy accounts for 39% of total final energy consumption (2021), signaling momentum toward cleaner energy sources and resilience against fossil fuel price shocks. High‑technology exports are modest at 20.8 million USD (2023), highlighting room for growth in R&D, manufacturing capabilities, and technology‑enabled productivity. The GDP per capita at PPP is 8,027 international dollars (2024), signaling a broad base for investment in human capital, digital infrastructure, and energy transition as levers for sustained growth.

Environment and Sustainability

Ghana’s environmental profile reveals relatively low per‑capita greenhouse gas emissions, with 1.43 t CO2e per person in 2023, indicating a lower carbon intensity compared with many higher‑income economies. The renewable energy share of final energy consumption stands at 39% (2021), illustrating substantial progress toward cleaner energy and the potential to expand hydro, solar, and wind capacities to further decarbonize the economy. Water stress, measured as freshwater withdrawal relative to available resources, is 6.31% (2021), suggesting moderate pressure on water resources and the importance of prudent water management, especially in agriculture and industry. Undernourishment affects 6.2% of the population (2022), pointing to ongoing vulnerability in food security that intersects with climate risks, agricultural productivity, and income distribution. The environmental narrative thus combines a relatively favorable carbon footprint with notable opportunities for increasing renewable energy, improving water resource management, and strengthening resilience to climate variability, while ensuring that nutrition and health outcomes keep pace with expanding economic activity.